BASEBALL; One of the premier pitchers in the majors could sign elsewhere.

By JACK CURRY

Published: December 8, 2005

The Houston Astros made the practical yet gutsy move Wednesday by declining to offer salary arbitration to Roger Clemens, a decision that puts Clemens's future with the team in peril. It is possible that Clemens's future will include pitching for the Yankees again.

Since the Astros did not make an offer to Clemens, they cannot negotiate with him until May 1. George Steinbrenner, the principal owner of the Yankees, adores Clemens and will undoubtedly instruct his executives to determine if signing him is sensible. One of Clemens's agents said he would be amenable to talking with the Yankees.

With Clemens unsure if he even wants to pitch next season, Tim Purpura, the general manager of the Astros, said he had to do what was in the best interests of the team and move forward without Clemens, a likely first-ballot Hall of Famer.

If Clemens were a typical player, this would have been a riskier decision because the Astros would have been essentially letting one of the best pitchers in the major leagues bolt to another team. Players do not want to forfeit a month of the season, so not offering salary arbitration is usually viewed as the severing of a relationship.

But the 43-year-old Clemens is a different case. He spent the last two years at home in Houston with an arrangement in which he did not have to make certain road trips. The Yankees have said they would not make those types of accommodations for a player.

Although Randy Hendricks, who with his brother Alan represents Clemens, said it was possible that Clemens could take the extra month to prepare and return for a third season with the hometown Astros, he added that Clemens ''will listen to anyone who calls.'' The Yankees will surely call.

''Of course, we would listen to the Yankees,'' Hendricks said. ''We have no reason now not to.''

Asked about Clemens late Wednesday night, Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman smiled and said: ''I don't want to start a back page. We all know who Roger Clemens is, and how special a player he is. I guess that's for another time. I will be engaging all players on the free-agent market, as I continue to say.''

Omar Minaya, the general manager of the Mets, did not sound interested in Clemens, who was 13-8 last season with a major-league-best 1.87 earned run average. He made $18 million last season.

Randy and Alan Hendricks said that Clemens, who wants to pitch for the United States in the World Baseball Classic in March, hopes to determine by late January or early February if he will pitch in the majors in 2006.

Since most teams will presumably have their rotations established by the time Clemens makes up his mind, the Yankees, who have a demanding owner and more resources than most, could benefit. The Yankees would probably be one of the few teams willing to add Clemens's sizable salary to an already mammoth payroll that late into the off-season.

Clemens could benefit from using the extra month off because his body withered as he went 1-2 with a 5.40 E.R.A. in September. Clemens strained his hamstring in the final month of the season, kept pitching with the problem, then left Game 1 of the World Series after only two innings.

Purpura said Houston's decision on Clemens was influenced by the Astros' failed and protracted pursuit of the free-agent outfielder Carlos Beltran after the 2004 season. The Astros did not learn until January that Beltran would sign with the Mets. Purpura said waiting for Beltran's decision hampered the team's ability to make other moves, and he said he did not want to be in that position for a second straight year.

Since the Hendricks brothers told Purpura that Clemens was leaning toward retirement more so than after the 2003 and 2004 seasons, the Astros decided not to expect him back. The Astros most likely would have offered Clemens about $20 million in arbitration, so the money was a huge factor.

Purpura said he did not have any talks with Clemens or his agents about the possibility of re-signing him May 1. Purpura said that the Astros tried to sign Clemens to a contract and avoid arbitration, but that he was not ready to commit. The Astros are hoping that if Clemens pitches, he pitches for them. Clemens has a personal-services deal with the team that begins after he retires. ''In some ways, it's hard for me to believe, at this stage, he'd want to play for another team,'' Purpura said. ''Again, he may want to do that.''

Will Clemens come back for more with the Astros? Could he return to the Yankees? Right now, not even Clemens knows. Clemens needs time to decide if he wants to add to his 341 victories. Like everyone else, Steinbrenner will wait.

Inside Pitch

A number of other notable players figured to be cutting ties with their teams after failing to receive offers for arbitration. Among them were: the Mets' Mike Piazza and Braden Looper; the slugging first baseman Frank Thomas of the White Sox; first baseman Kevin Millar and reliever Mike Myers of the Red Sox; and catcher Bengie Molina and starter Jarrod Washburn of the Angels.